Burrell Communications Group

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title: "Burrell Communications Group" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["advertising-agencies-of-the-united-states", "marketing-companies-established-in-1971", "companies-based-in-chicago", "1971-establishments-in-illinois"] description: "Ad Agency founded by one of the first African Americans in the industry" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrell_Communications_Group" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Ad Agency founded by one of the first African Americans in the industry ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	Burrell Communications Group
logo	Burrell Communications Screaming B.jpeg
logo_size	200px
genre
foundation
founders	Thomas J. Burrell, Emmett McBain
defunct
location_city	Chicago, Illinois
location_country	USA
key_people	Fay Ferguson, McGhee Osse, co-chief executive officers
Lewis Williams,
chief creative officer
industry	Advertising
aum
homepage
::

| name = Burrell Communications Group | logo = Burrell Communications Screaming B.jpeg | logo_size = 200px | caption = | type = | traded_as = | genre = | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = | founders = Thomas J. Burrell, Emmett McBain | defunct = | location_city = Chicago, Illinois | location_country = USA | locations = | area_served = | key_people = Fay Ferguson, McGhee Osse, co-chief executive officers Lewis Williams, chief creative officer | industry = Advertising | products = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = | footnotes = | intl = Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. is an American advertising agency whose assignments are among those tracked by The New York Times.{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/business/media/05adnewsletter1.html |title=Toyota Turns to a Bulldog to Talk Up the RAV4 |date=July 5, 2011}}{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/18/business/the-media-business-advertising-addenda-verizon-awards-work-to-burrell-agency.html |title=The Media Business: Verizon Communications |date=September 18, 2000}}{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/business/the-media-business-advertising-addenda-accounts-awarded-by-3-big-advertisers.html |title=The Media Business: General Mills |date=May 30, 2001}} Founded by chairman emeritus Thomas (Tom) J. Burrell, and headquartered in Chicago, IL, Burrell Communications is one of the largest multi-cultural marketing firms in the world. Some of the company's work is part of a collection in the Library of Congress.{{cite journal|title=Coca-Cola Company donates its collection of Black advertising by Burrell Communications Group to Library of Congress|journal=Jet Magazine |date=October 20, 2003 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_17_104/ai_109959084/?tag=content;col1 |access-date=March 31, 2012}}

History

Burrell Communications was founded in 1971, by Tom Burrell and then partner, Emmett McBain, and was originally named Burrell McBain.{{cite journal |last=Fawcett |first=Adrienne W. |title=Burrell at 25, A Commemorative |journal=Advertising Age |date=June 3, 1996}} When McBain left in 1974, Burrell renamed the agency Burrell Communications Group.

The company had been established to forge an authentic and respectful relationship with the African-American consumer, and to tap into how the black aesthetic could also appeal to the general market consumer. It was at this time that Burrell coined the phrase, "Black people are not dark-skinned white people." Recognizing that there existed inherent cultural differences, and the fact that these differences drove patterns of consumption, became a driving force and inspiration for future ad campaigns at Burrell. They had established a leading shop for niche African American -focused communications, beginning with the Black Marlboro Man for Philip Morris. Their list of accounts quickly expanded to include marquee brands McDonald's and Coca-Cola. A Coke commercial entitled "Street Song" won Burrell its first Clio Award.{{cite book |last=Chambers |first=Jason |title=Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry |year=2009 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |pages=24 |isbn=978-0-8122-0385-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2I06Y2-5jXQC&q=burrell+Mcdonald%27s+commercial+Street+Song+ins+clio+award&pg=PA247}} By 1979, Burrell topped $10 million in billing per annum, making it one of the most successful multi-cultural advertising shops in the United States.

Other accounts they added included Martell Cognac and Stroh's accounts (1981–1983). Burrell's "Double Dutch" Commercial for McDonald's gained national attention and a Gold Award at the U.S. Television Commercials Festival.{{cite journal |title=Double Honors |journal=Jet |date=December 27, 1982 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L7YDAAAAMBAJ&q=burrell+Mcdonald%27s+double+dutch+commercial&pg=PA65 |access-date=March 31, 2012}} By 1996 agency billing climbed to $20 million. To better serve Coca Cola Burrell opened an office in Atlanta, GA. More work came from Procter and Gamble, Crest Toothpaste, Polaroid and Kraft Foods Stovetop Dressing.

The agency was awarded the Grand Effie by the American Marketing Association for its work on "Who Wants," a spot created for the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Burrell garners new clients including Nynex, Mobil, Nabisco's A1 Steak Sauce, Maxwell House Coffee and Sears. Agency billing tops a record-breaking $128 million. Burrell acquires DFA Communications, a general market advertising and direct marketing agency based in New York, adding direct marketing expertise as well as a New York presence.

49% sold to fund expansion

In 1999 they sold a 49% minority stake to French media giant Publicis Groupe in order to fund its expansion. Burrell Communications was awarded projects by Toyota, Hewlett-Packard and General Mills.

21st century

In 2002 Burrell was named Black Enterprise's Advertising Agency of the Year

Tom Burrell retired in 2004.{{cite news |newspaper=BizJournals (Chicago) |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2017/09/20/chicago-ad-man-tom-burrell-makes-history.html |title=Chicago ad man Tom Burrell makes history with a top honor |author=Lewis Lazare |date=September 20, 2017}} The agency launched Toyota Camry's in 2007 with their "If Looks Could Kill," the first digital campaign of its kind to target African American women. In 2009 they were granted the American Airlines account, and a Toyota ad was on the Super Bowl.{{cite web|last=Tedesco|first=Richard|title=Toyota Ties Events to Venza Spots in Big Game.|url=http://business.highbeam.com/437299/article-1G1-192827601/toyota-ties-events-venza-spots-big-game |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222014501/http://business.highbeam.com/437299/article-1G1-192827601/toyota-ties-events-venza-spots-big-game |url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|publisher=Promo|accessdate=June 3, 2012}}

2010s

2010--Burrell launches Threshold Nation, a subsidiary dedicated to marketing toward the multi-ethnic urban male.

2011—Burrell Communications is named Black Enterprise's Advertising Agency of the Year and adds Comcast to its list of clients

2013—Burrell launches Rising Tide, a Tide-sponsored aspirational social network for millennials looking for professional access. The program features hip-hop media mogul, Russell Simmons, sharing his wisdom with the young, professional audience.

2014—Burrell scores a major win the 2013 Toyota Avalon "Only The Name Remains" campaign, starring Academy Award nominee Idris Elba. The campaign won a Gold National ADDY Award, an Official Webby Award Honoree, and was listed as the FWA Site of the Day.

2019—Entrepreneur writer Christine Michel Carter named Burrell Communications Group as one of the largest global multicultural marketing firms.

Clients and awards

Some among their list of major clients have been using their services for over 30 years,{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |title=Burrell at 25 |date=June 3, 1996 |pages=C1–C16}} among which are: McDonald's, Comcast, Procter and Gamble, General Mills, SuperValu, American Airlines, Toyota, Lilly and Disney's Dreamers Academy. They've won major industry awards, including the Clio{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |url=https://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/burrell-communications-group/98370 |title=Burrell Communications Group |date=September 15, 2003 |quote=Three years later it won its first Clio Award for 'Street Song'}} and a Grand Effie.{{cite news |newspaper=Advertising Age |title=Perseverance pays dividend at $128 million Burrell shop |author=Adrienne W. Fawcett |date=June 3, 1996 |pages=C2, C4, C6}}

References

References

1. Stuart, Elliot. (June 8, 1994). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; An anti-drug public service campaign wins a prestigious prize for advertising effectiveness.". New York Times.
2. (September 2003). "Burrell Communications Group". Advertising Age.
3. Valcourt, Josee. (October 1, 1999). "Burrell Communications sells 49% of firm to Publicis Will black ad agencies have to merge to stay alive?". Black Enterprise.
4. "Toyota Announces Partnership With African American Advertising Agency". PRNewswire.
5. Brown, Monique R.. (June 2002). "Born to transform: the Burrell Communications Group bursts out of the ad agency box to become bigger, better, and bolder - B.E. Advertising Agency Of The Year - Company Profile". Black Enterprise.
6. Finkelman, Paul. (2009). "Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present: from the age of segregation to the twenty-first century, Volume 1". Oxford University Press.
7. Alleyne, Sonia. (June 2011). "Growth By Reinvention". Black Enterprise.
8. "Burrell Communications(TM) Launches Threshold Nation(TM)". PR Newswire.
9. (March 8, 2011). "Comcast names Burrell Communications African-American agency of record". Target Market News.
10. Carter, Christine Michel. (2018-03-23). "Is Your Ad Racially Insensitive? What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Missteps by Gap, Dove and H&M.".
11. Burrell awards, 1975 thru 2013

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